The 29-year-old had been standing at the same spot just minutes earlier.

LONDON - THE ACID CAPITAL OF BRITAIN

The horrific acid attack in London overnight has added to a startling rise in reports of similar sick assaults in the capital.

Shocking figures released earlier this year show 431 acid attacks were reported in London in 2016 - up from 261 the previous year.

And there have been 1,500 since 2011 but there are fears the number is much higher as some victims choose not to report the crime.

It is thought the rise in attacks is down to cops cracking down on knives and guns. A bottle of acid can be bought for £1 in any DIY store and can be carried around without arousing suspicion.

Last month, hospital worker Syed Nadeem, 44, was leaving Whipps Cross when he was attacked by four masked moped-riding thugs demanding cash. They squirted acid at his face then snatched his backpack before kicking and punching him on the ground.

Resham Khan and her cousin Jameel Muhktar, 37, were left with life-changing injuries after they were sprayed with acid as they celebrated her 21st birthday last month.

A further 20 people were hurt when they were doused in a corrosive substance at Mangle nightclub in Dalston in April.

Arthur Collins, the ex-boyfriend of reality TV star Ferne McCann, has been charged with five counts of causing GBH with intent and 11 counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH).

The attack was one of four in the space of just 11 days after a family were doused in acid in Islington, North London, on April 8.

On Good Friday, a man in his 20s was driving his Audi S3 in Bow when he was shunted by a car behind. When he got out to inspect the damage, he was sprayed in the face with ammonia and pushed to the ground before the carjackers sped off.

Two days after the Mangle attack, a teenager suffered "life-changing" burns on his face and neck after he and a female friend were sprayed with acid in Fulham, west London.

In February, there was an attack on the tube in Barking, at an amateur football game and then a secondary school in Dagenham.

Two carjackings in Essex saw former boxer Michael Watson suffered injuries after was sprayed in the face with a noxious substance and dragged 300 yards at 50mph by thugs attempting to steal his car.

The borough of Newham has the highest number of acid attacks with 398 of reports in 2016.

She said: "It was just outside my flat, the victim was literally stood on my doorstep.

"It was probably about 10.30pm, I saw some reports that it happened at 10.25pm so by 10.30pm there were a couple of police cars and an ambulance there.

"After about 10 minutes I still saw the flashing and went out on my balcony and looked over the roof to see what is going on.

"Police had cordoned off the little area around the pavement and there was just a guy standing on my doorway and they were pouring huge, five-litre bottles of water over his head.

"He was standing, he seemed to be OK. After probably about 10-15 minutes he managed to walk unaided into the ambulance.”

As she watched, around 25 moped riders - appearing to be from fast-food delivery companies such as UberEats and Deliveroo - arrived to help their stricken fellow driver.

Water bottles pictured strewn around Hackney Road after police treated one of the acid attack victims

"I'm guessing maybe they had heard what happened and came down because they can't have all been driving round together," she said.

She added: "I had thought someone must have chucked petrol or acid on him or something because they were covering him in water, but I have never seen that reaction to an attack, I thought maybe there had been an accident.”

Police cordons had been lifted by the morning, but the street remained strewn with empty plastic bottles, Ms Cobbold said.

A woman who lives in flats off Upper Clapton Road near the attack in Stoke Newington, who did not want to be named, said she heard shouting coming from outside.

"I just saw blue flashing lights and heard a load of shouting," she said, adding that she heard someone shout "Oi, what do you think you're doing?"

TREAT ACID ATTACKS IN SAME WAY AS KNIFE CRIMES - LABOUR MP TIMMS

Tougher and more consistent sentences are needed for those found guilty of acid attacks, a former minister has said.

Stephen Timms called for carrying acid to be made an offence and suggested licensing the purchase of sulphuric acid as he urged a change in sentencing guidelines.

The Labour MP, who will lead an adjournment debate on acid attacks in the Commons on Monday, spoke to BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He said: "I think that the sentences for attacks of this kind should be reviewed - the guidelines for sentencing.

"I think we should have tougher and also more consistent sentences for those who are found guilty of carrying out these attacks."

Mr Timms said carrying a bottle of sulphuric acid without justification should be treated as an offence, like carrying a knife.

He also said there was a case to re-examine when it is appropriate to use stop and search powers.

He added: "I think there's been a pretty effective change - I think the same change should be made for acid."

Mr Timms also called for sulphuric acid to be re-categorised so that a licence is required to buy the chemical.

He said: "Sulphuric acid is already covered by the Explosives Precursor Regulations introduced last year, but it's in a kind of lower category in those regulations.

"I think it should be raised to the higher category, which would mean you'd have to have a licence in order to buy it."

She said: "I just thought it was a fight broke out because it was the time people would have been coming home from the pub.

"There was so much shouting going on. I looked out my window in case it was a woman being mugged or attacked."

Last night's incidents are the latest in a spree of acid atrocities which have blighted the UK capital.